Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-11-30
SETTLED DEFINITELY.
Donald Grants Best Tracklaying Rec.
ord for One Day Reaten by
Two Miles.

| much newspaper discussion and comment
| this fall. The steady rapidity with which
Donald Grant and his crew laid steel on
the Montana extension of the Manitoba
and Montana Central-645 miles in about
| seven mouths proved him to be one of
| best men in the world at that business
In the Milk river valley, last summer, his
crew laid eight and one-quarter miles of
track from one end, the rails being run
off an iron car, in one day. This surpass-
ed the Canadian Pacitic's best days rec
ord by nearly two miles, and was thought
| by many to be the best record made by
any crew at any time in America. Sever
al bets were made in Montana ON the feat
ano the Railway Age of Chicago was ask
ed to decide the point. That paper, un-
doubtedly without making inquiry, decid-
ed that MIR. Grants record on the Manito-
ba had not been beaten, and that he was
entitled to the honor Of having made the
best one days record. A short time ago
the Tribune published letter from chief
engineer Hood of the Central Pacific, in
which 1t was stated tha: the Central pa-
cific laid, In 1860, over 10 miles In one ,lay
on their road. But the letter did not ex-
picitly state that the iron had been laid
from one end from an iron car, aud by one
crew of men. A copy of the Tribune con-
tanning the letter was mailed to Mr.. Hood
at San Francisco. Evidently the question
interested him, as the Tribune received
the following letter yesterday:
SOUTHERN PAeIFIc COMPANY, OFFICE
OF CHIEF ENGINEER: SAN FRANCISCO,
California, November IS, 1S87.-I'o the
Editor Of tie Tribune: Since reading the
article on iracklaying In your issue of the
I'd instant, have looked over our fscts in
regard tn the tracklaying Oh the Central
Pacific railroad 1T Promontory, Utah.
The distance laid vas about 10 miles and
1000 feet in one day, wholly by daylight.
No rails were hauled ahead by teams; but
they were run out as usual on the iron
Car, and each pair of rails handled rs US
ual by men, 4 men to each rail, and the
entire distance WAS so laid from one cad
by one shift Of men. The distance laid
was mostly on an ascending grade of &c
feet per mile; and there were about one
and one half miles of curves encountered,
the rails for which We're properly curved
on the ground, the same day they we're
laid. The entire days work was witness
ed by prominent Union Pacific railroad
officials, as well as by officers of the Cen
tral Pacific Very truly,
WILLIAM HOOP, chief engineer.
Hereafter, betters on railroad points
had better refer the same to the Tribune
for its decision, rather than to the Railway
Age, as the latter, evidently, goes off at
half-cock.
The Tribune recently had a pleasant
talk with Donald Grant, the World re-
nowned tracklayer, in regard both to the
remarkable seasons work performed by
him and the claim put forward that the
Central Pacific had beaten his record of
one days tracklaying, more than 20 years
ago. In regard to the latter, Mr.. Grant
said he was very much interested in the
decision to be made by the Railway Age,
as it was possible they might determine
the question upon hearsay, without prop
er investigation. He seemed to think that
the claim put forward that 10 miles of
track had been laid ON the Central Pacif
ic in one day, from one direction, with or
without previous preparation, was prepos-
ferrous, and that III investigation would SO
prove it. The decision of the Chicago
railway journal wa. consequently just
what he expected it would be.
Theletter we published yesterday, how
ever, from chief engineer Hood of the
Southern Pacific company, puts an entire
ly different phrase on the case, and if Mr..
Grant desires to retain his laurels he must
look into this matter and disprove if he Can
the positive statement made by Mr.. Hood,
as the latter Is much better authority IN
the premises than the Railway Age.
Among other things, Mr.. Grant told US
that but for getting a late start and because
of an accident, wreeking one of the iron
cars, he would certainly have laid over ten
miles of track in the Milk river valley that
pleasant July day-so that after all, adj
hitting MIR. Hoods statement, it is likely
that Grant and his skilled force laid track
faster that day than did the Central Pa
cifc people. They doubtless put in fewer
hours, and besides were much delayed by
the accident.
But whatever the determination of this
matter may be, the name of Donald Grant
will go into history as the greatest track
layer the world has ever produced. His
work on the Canadian Pacific of LAYING
600 miles in one season, surpassed this
year when he laid $50 miles ON the Mani
toba in less than seven months, beats all
records and fairly eclipses anything ever
before done in the way OF railroad build
ing. His laurels have been we'll earned
and cannot be wrested from him.